Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Herbs
Grass
Origin
Southern Europe
Africa
Types
Melissa officinalis
Pennisetum glaucum
Number of Varieties
57
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dappled Shade, Mediterranean region, Shady Edge, Woodland Garden
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-98-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12 - 8
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.50 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.70 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Pink
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Brown, Cream
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Deer resistant, Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Gray leaf blight, Gray mold, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, Drought
Deer resistant, Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Allergy
Avoid during Pregnancy, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin, Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
Insignificant
-
Environmental Uses
Deer resistant, Insect Repellent
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic, Anxiety, Appetite enhancer, Digestion problems, Insomnia, Sedative
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Medicinal oil, Used as insect repellent, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
MELISSA officinalis
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Common Name
Lemonbalm, balm, common balm, balm mint
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
नींबू बाम
purple millet
In German
Lemonbalm
purple millet
In French
mélisse
millet pourpre
In Spanish
Lemonbalm
purple millet
In Greek
Lemonbalm
purple millet
In Portuguese
Lemonbalm
purple millet
In Polish
Lemonbalm
purple millet
In Latin
CITRAGO
purple millet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cyperales
Family
Lamiaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Melissa
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
Nepetoideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
41
1
27800
👆🏻